Page 3 - Jharkhand

Ministry of coal awards 7 coal blocks in 12th round of commercial auction

Blocks expected to fetch Rs 720 crore in annual revenue, attract Rs 787.5 crore investment, and generate over 7,000 jobs, says Coal Ministry

Six Kanwariyas killed, 24 injured in bus-truck collision in Jharkhand

At least five Kanwariyas were killed and 23 others injured on Tuesday after a collision took place between a bus with passengers on board and a truck, loaded with cooking gas cylinders, in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, police said. The accident occurred near the Jamuniya forest under the Mohanpur Police Station limits around 4.30 am when the bus collided with the vehicle, an officer said. "At least five people were killed and many injured when a 32-seater bus with Kanwariyas on board collided with a truck, transporting gas cylinders, near the Jamuniya forest in Deoghar's Mohanpur," Inspector General (Dumka Zone) Shailendra Kumar Sinha told PTI. Kanwariyas are devotees of Lord Shiva. At least 23 Kanwariyas were injured in the accident and taken to various hospitals and nearby primary health centres, including the the Saraiyahat PHC in Dumka, another official said. Casualties may increase as the condition of several injured is serious, he added. The district administration has been

Dhanbad mine collapse: NDRF, BCCL begin rescue operation for trapped miners

A joint team from the NDRF and the Bharat Coking Coal Ltd started a search operation to rescue miners allegedly trapped during illegal mining in an abandoned coal mine in Jharkhand's Dhanbad, officials said. The operation by a 35-member squad of the NDRF and a 15-member BCCL mines' rescue wing began around 11.30 am, after a futile attempt to search for the miners late on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, confusion continues over the alleged mine collapse incident at the Block-2 closed underground mines of BCCL at Baghmara, with several leaders claiming muiltiple deaths in the incident. The NDRF was mobilised on Wednesday after Giridih MP C P Choudhary staged a dharna at Baghmara police station, demanding immediate rescue operations at the spot. "The MP has pointed out three spots as suspected sites of trapped persons. Search operation has started at one of the spots and other locations would come under its ambit soon," Baghmara police station officer in-charge Ajit Kumar said. The ...

CM Hemant Soren urges Shah to waive ₹13,300 cr CRPF dues for anti-naxal ops

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that the Centre waive Rs 13,300 crore due in lieu of deployment of CRPF for carrying out anti-Naxal operations in the state. If the state is forced to pay such a huge amount, it will adversely impact development schemes in Jharkhand, Soren said. It is the joint responsibility of the state and central governments to root out extremism... I urge the central government to completely waive the pending dues of Rs 13,299.69 crore to be paid by the state government in lieu of the deputation of Central Reserve Police Force for conducting anti-Naxal operations in the state of Jharkhand, Soren wrote in the letter. More than 400 police personnel were killed in anti-Naxal operations in the state as Jharkhand remains an extremist-hit state since its creation, he said. I expect cooperation and a positive attitude from the Centre in waiving the dues under cooperative federalism, Soren said.

One dead, three injured as school building's roof collapses in J'khand

One person was killed and another was feared trapped after a portion of the roof of a government school building collapsed in Jharkhand's Ranchi, amid incessant rain, police said on Friday. Operation is underway to rescue the person, expected to be trapped under the debris at the school in Piska More area in the state capital, an officer said. "A person was killed when a portion of the roof of a government school building collapsed. We have sent our team for a rescue operation as we received information that another person is trapped inside," Sudkhdeo Nagar Police Station in-charge Manoj Kumar told PTI. Kumar said the deceased was an elderly person who was sleeping in the verandah of the school when the portion of the roof collapsed. The police are investigating the incident, and further details are awaited, he said. Jharkhand has been experiencing heavy rainfall for the last several days.

Sub-Zonal Naxal commander gunned down in Jharkhand during encounter

According to officials, the operation, which began around 6:30 AM, was carried out jointly by the 209 CoBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police

IMD issues flash flood alert for 13 Jharkhand districts amid rain forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued flash flood warning for 13 Jharkhand districts amid prediction of heavy rainfall in parts of the state, an official said. The IMD has issued the warning for Bokaro, East Singhbhum, Giridih, Gumla, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, Palamu, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Saraikela, Simdega and West Singhbhum districts till 5.30 pm of Tuesday. "Surface runoff and inundation may occur at some fully saturated soils and low-lying areas," IMD said in its bulletin. An 'orange' alert for very heavy rainfall has been issued in parts of Jharkhand till July 17, the IMD official said. The alert has been sounded for Gumla, Simdega, Khunti and West Singhbhum districts, which are likely to experience torrential rain between 8.30 am on Monday and 8.30 am on Tuesday, the IMD said. Palamu, Latehar, Garhwa and Hazaribag may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall between 8.30 am on Tuesday and 8.30 am on July 16, while Palamu, Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribag and Giri

JMM's official X handle hacked by anti-social elements: Jharkhand CM Soren

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's official X handle has been hacked by anti-social elements, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Sunday. Soren is currently in Delhi in connection with his father and JMM founder Shibu Soren's treatment. "JMM's official X handle @JMM Jharkhand has been hacked by anti-social elements," Soren said in a post on the social media platform. "Take congnisance, investigate the matter and take immediate action," the CM said, directing the Jharkhand Police to initiate measures.

Amit Shah to chair Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi on July 10 in which about 70 representatives from the four eastern states -- Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal -- are expected to participate, an official said on Wednesday. Security has been beefed up in Ranchi in view of the meeting and Shah is scheduled to arrive in the state capital on Wednesday evening. Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five zonal councils were established in the country. The Union home minister is the chairperson of these five zonal councils, and the chief ministers/lieutenant governors/administrators of the member states and Union territories are the members. "Massive security arrangements have been made in the state capital in view of the Eastern Zonal Council meeting here tomorrow, to be chaired by the Home Minister," the official said. The zonal councils take up many important issues including discussing broad issues of ...

Centre withholding funds for schemes, depriving people: J'khand FinMin

Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore on Monday accused the Centre of withholding funds for several schemes, depriving people of the benefits of the initiatives. He claimed that the BJP was spreading lies that the Jharkhand government was not providing the benefits of the schemes to the people. "The central government has withheld funds for several schemes and is not providing its share. Due to this, people are not able to get benefits of various schemes such as old-age pension. I urge the Centre to release the funds," Kishore told reporters after a 'Janta Darbar' at the Congress headquarters in Ranchi. As many as 49 cases were brought before the finance minister at the 'Janta Darbar', with most being related to electricity, road construction, land dispute, pond renovation and social welfare schemes. "The government will not tolerate negligence in work, and officials must complete public tasks on time. The practice of making people unnecessarily run around offices and ..

IMD issues flash flood alert for 12 Jharkhand districts amid heavy rainfall

A flash flood warning has been issued for 12 districts in Jharkhand till 5.30 pm on Monday, as moderate to heavy rainfall lashed major parts of the state, an IMD official said. The districts that fall under the flash flood risk include Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, Ranchi, Bokaro, Saraikela, West and East Singhbhum, according to a bulletin of India Meteorological Department (IMD). Major parts of Jharkhand, including Ranchi, have been experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall since Sunday. Ranchi Meteorological Centre Deputy Director Abhishek Anand said the rainfall is caused by a cyclonic circulation and trough. Light to moderate rainfall is expected across Jharkhand on Monday, and some places of the western and southern parts of the state may witness downpour, he said. Jharkhand has recorded 69 per cent surplus rainfall between June 1 and July 6, he said. The eastern state received 417.2 mm of precipitation against the normal of 246.2 mm during the ..

One dead, more feared trapped as part of coal mine collapses in Jharkhand

One person was killed and some others were feared trapped after a portion of a coal mine collapsed during illegal mining in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred in the early hours at Karma area in the district. An administrative team has been dispatched for relief and rescue operation, they said. "One body has been recovered so far and rescue operation is underway, as more people are suspected to be trapped," Kuju Police Outpost in-charge Ashutosh Kumar Singh told PTI. He said that some villagers were involved in illegal mining of coal at the site. Ramgarh Deputy Commissioner (DC) Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz told PTI: We received information about the incident in the morning. An administrative team has been sent to the spot to investigate the matter.

ED raids 8 places in J'khand in money laundering case against Yogendra Sao

The raids have been underway since early morning in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh and Ranchi, based on an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), official sources told ANI

Centre to invest ₹2 trillion to transform Jharkhand's infra: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the Centre is committed to augment Jharkhand's infrastructure, and it would implement projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore in the state. The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister asserted that Jharkhand, which is rich in mineral resources, would see unprecedented growth in the highways sector. "I am committed to bolster Jharkhand's infrastructure. I assure the people of implementing Rs 2 lakh crore-worth national highway projects in the state," he said, while addressing a public meeting. "We have completed Rs 40,000-crore national highway projects in the state. At present, we are implementing highway projects worth Rs 70,000 crore, while projects worth Rs 75,000 crore are in the pipeline," Gadkari said. Strengthening infrastructure was the need of the hour to make India a USD 5-trillion economy in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, he said. He said the Rs 36,000-crore Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata greenfield corridor will be ...

Gadkari to inaugurate, lay foundation stone for projects worth ₹6,350 cr

Union minister Nitin Gadkari will on Thursday inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 6,350 crore in Jharkhand, officials said. The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 11 National Highway projects in the state, including nine from Ranchi and two from Garhwa. Among the projects are an elevated corridor worth Rs 560 crore in Ranchi, and two projects worth Rs 2,460 crore in Garhwa. Gadkari will inaugurate the 4.18-km elevated 'Ratu Road flyover', which starts near Raj Bhavan and ends at OTC Ground in Ranchi. In Garhwa, he will inaugurate a 23-km four-lane highway from Shankha to Khajoori, built at a cost of Rs 1,130 crore, the officials said. He will also lay the foundation stone of a Rs 1,330-crore project for four-laning of a 32-km stretch of NH 39 from the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand inter-state boundary to Gumla, they added. "From Ranchi, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari will launch the

Former aide of CM Soren behind ₹1,000 cr illegal mining syndicate: ED

A former representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren leveraged "political influence" to mastermind an illegal mining syndicate in the state that generated proceeds of crime worth Rs 1,000 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday. The federal agency said in a statement that it has made these charges in a fresh prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed in this case on June 30 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi. "The current complaint brings to light the roles of eight additional individuals and two companies, who have been found to be integral to the criminal network orchestrated by Pankaj Mishra, the then political representative of the chief minister of Jharkhand," the ED claimed. Mishra was arrested by the ED in July 2022 after raids were conducted against him and some others. He was the political representative of Soren in his assembly constituency of Barhait in Sahibganj district. Soren has always maintained th

Abandoned coal pits turn into fish farms, provide livelihood in Jharkhand

In the coal-mining heartland of Jharkhand, abandoned water-filled pits left behind by mining companies are being transformed into profitable fish farms, providing livelihoods for displaced communities and addressing protein shortages in rural areas. Around 1,741 such abandoned coal pits exist across Jharkhand, with many dating back to the 1980s. While coal mining companies are legally mandated to undertake scientific closure of these pits, implementation has been poor due to expensive costs involved. The Kuju Fishermen Cooperative Society, operating from the 22-acre Ara coal pit in Ramgarh district, has emerged as a success story in this transformation. Shashikant Mahto, now Secretary of Kuju Fishermen Cooperative Society, began the initiative in 2010 without proper infrastructure. "I began fish farming in the water-filled abandoned Ara coal pit without any cage. I had randomly put fish seed and harvested a good crop," Mahto said. His first catch, a 15-kg Katla fish, won him the f

DPIIT reviews issues affecting 11 infrastructure projects in 5 states

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has reviewed 18 issues affecting 11 infrastructure projects in Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland, an official statement said on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Bhatia, was attended by senior officials from central ministries, state governments, and project proponents. "In the meeting, 18 issues across 11 significant projects were reviewed in the state of Jharkhand, with a total cost of all projects exceeding Rs 34,213 crore," the commerce and industry ministry said. The Patratu Thermal Power Station Expansion Project Phase-I pertaining to the state of Jharkhand was reviewed in detail, it said. It added that issues on a private sector project of GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd in Arunachal Pradesh, worth Rs 1,000 crore, were also reviewed. The Secretary advised the state government to accord high priority to the matter and extend all necessary support to GeoEnpro to ensure t

Hind Copper plans ₹2,000cr capex for core expansion, exludes PPP project

State-run Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) will invest around Rs 2,000 crore over the next five to six years to expand its mining operations, primarily at its flagship Malanjkhand Copper Project (MCP) in Madhya Pradesh, a top company official said. The investment is part of HCL's broader plan to triple its ore production capacity from the current 4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 12.2 MTPA by FY2030-31. However, this capital expenditure excludes the development of the Rakha and Chapri mines in Jharkhand, which are being revived through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. A JSW Group company has secured the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) contract for the two mining blocks in Jharkhand and is expected to invest around Rs 2,600 crore, including the setting up of a concentrator plant. The Rs 2,000 crore capex will be funded by HCL, with the majority directed towards the Malanjkhand Copper Project (MCP), which will see an investment of around Rs 1,4001,500 crore. The remaining wil

Cabinet clears ₹6,405 cr railway doubling projects in three states

New multitracking lines covering 318 km in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to improve mobility, cut logistics cost and support sustainable rail operations